yes, there is beauty

[jovahs_heiress]

Angela stops at Milliways on her way home, Micaiah in tow. She cannot force the door to Beast's world, not with any coin she carries, but she leaves a note at Bar for him, asking that he go to the tower out back and identify himself to Jane. There's nothing else they can do for him. Belle, of course, will get a key if she goes to the bar.

Comments

[pythbox]

"I don't get stuck," Sue points out. "I am the anti-stuck."

[autokinetic]

"Okay, but - go in linked up to me and Jane - have you got coins?"

[pythbox]

"Plenty," he says cheerfully, and gives her a kiss, and leans down to touch Beast's hand. Hey. I need to go where you are. Come on.

[deslandes]

He blinks hazily, but after a moment he stands - leaning on Sue - and lets his alt lead him into the bar.

[autokinetic]

Aegis follows them in, and then sits at the bar to wait.

[pythbox]

He coaxes the Beast out through his door, and into...

[deslandes]

...a scorched and broken castle.

He whimpers and hides his face in Sue's shoulder.

[beheld_beauty]

Belle notices at once. She can't bear to leave her husband like this, physically or mentally, and she keeps trying new angles on healing the damage.

She writes (gently, gently) What's happened? Mon cœur, who's this?

[deslandes]

It's him. It's not him. He's dreaming. Is he dreaming?

[pythbox]

Sue reads the words on the wall.

"I'm Sue," he says, "and I'm gonna try something stupid."

As Beast stirs to wakefulness. Sue closes his eyes.

He doesn't have to move far. Just—to where—



He flickers out of the dreamworld and into reality, standing beside Belle and the Beast.

[beheld_beauty]

Belle doesn't, quite, startle her husband's head out of her lap, but it's a near thing, and she clutches at his shoulder a bit and her aura flares: you have alarmed someone powerful.

[pythbox]

"Hi," he says with a friendly smile, and tries linking her.

[beheld_beauty]

Her rosevines bite.

She grits her teeth.

"Who are you?" she says with a hiss that sounds like it's being funneled directly into his ear.

[pythbox]

"I'm trying to tell you!" he says. "You're spikier than most Bells. I'm another one of him," he says with a gesture to Beast. "I found him in his dreams and came here because he looks really fucked up."

All the while, he's echoing the whole conversation to Jane and Aegis.

[autokinetic]

Bird, show Jane where you are so she can put me there, Aegis suggests.

[beheld_beauty]

"He's been badly hurt. How can you be another of him - found him in his dreams? - what are you talking about?"

[pythbox]

He floods place-data at Jane and says, "It's complicated."

[beheld_beauty]

"I would like it explained."

[autokinetic]

Aegis pops into place. "Hi," she says. "We're versions of you and him from another, very different world, and we're here to help, can you tell us what happened to him? We can almost certainly fix it."

[beheld_beauty]

"He - he was traveling alone. He does that sometimes. And when I checked in on his mindscape it was damaged - an enchanter captured him and was using him - and channeling does damage to the unwilling - and I've been healing what I can but I haven't gotten him any better than this, he can barely speak, I haven't managed to get him to eat anything." She clenches her teeth again. "I got him back. I got him back and this is all I know how to do, I can't think of a way to design a mental healing spell that I'd have to channel through him in order to maintain control of it, if I could only get him to eat something I'd fetch my student and ask if I might channel through him instead but I can't leave him like this."

[deslandes]

Beast sniffles and cuddles closer, wrapping his arms around her and nestling his head in her lap.

[autokinetic]

"...Okay. My kinda magic is good at some things, but I don't know anything about the kind of damage we're looking at, here; I'll try if we don't have a better idea, but it's always possible to word a wish wrong and minds are delicate. You think you can do it? You can fix him if you have somebody to - channel through?"

[beheld_beauty]

"I - yes, but it hurts the channel. If it didn't I could channel it through myself, but I have to focus on the spell at the same time."

[pythbox]

"Does it do anything other than hurt?" says Sue. "I mean, does the channel have to know what they're doing? Because I can do hurting."

[beheld_beauty]

"To a willing channel, no, it does nothing but hurt and they don't need to know the details." She combs her fingers through Beast's hair. "To a willing channel."